Robots to contain the spread COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 can be contained by taking appropriate measures - like wearing of masks, social distancing, use of hand sanitizers, staying indoors if someone has symptoms of COVID-19 etc. From public health perspective there is a need to monitor if an individual is following the protocols laid down to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Continuous monitoring becomes even more difficult at places which has large congregation of people, for e.g. malls, Universities, stadiums etc. The use of robotics along with applications built on top of it can assist with the monitoring and to make sure that the protocols are followed and to provide an alert if someone breaks the protocol.. The aim of this project is to develop applications on top of the 'Spot' robot to monitor if individuals are wearing masks or not, the body temperature of any individual, if social distancing is being maintained, if an individual needs a sanitizer etc. The 'Spot' robot can traverse any terrain and even climb stairs and avoid collision. The applications are developed using advanced image processing and automation. The robot can also be used to monitor COVID-19 positive patients remotely without the need for the front line medical staff to come in contact with the patient. This will reduce the transmission from the patient to the front line workers.